It Isn't Always Happily Ever After
by anonymousberry16
Summary: "Sometimes you can't help but fall in love with more than one person." Tears began rolling down his cheeks. "But you're only supposed to be with one!" We stood in complete silence for a few moments before I decided that I couldn't stand to be around him anymore.
1. Chapter 1

I opened my eyes to the morning rays creeping in through the pale blue drapes hung over the window above the headboard of my bed, listening to the songs of the sparrows that had taken up residence in the tree branches just outside. Sitting upright, I stretched my arms up and out before pushing myself from the comfort of the bedsheets, watching my feet to make sure I didn't step on the green snake that enjoyed slumbering in the darkness under the bedframe. As he slithered out from his usual hiding spot, I reached down and stroked a finger along his scaly head, earning a happy hiss in response and felt an arm wrap around my waist, followed by a gentle kiss on the side of my neck. I swivelled my head to meet the sleepy, violet eyes of my husband, which were largely obscured by a mess of orange curls.

"Good morning, Akari," he whispered, his voice cracking slightly in his sleepy haze. I chuckled; he wasn't ever really a morning person.

"Morning, Chase," I smiled at him enthusiastically, whilst pushing his untidy hair from his view, hearing him groan deeply.

"Honestly, how can you be so cheery and awake this early?"

I laughed. "I don't know, I guess I kinda just got used to it after a while," I walked over to the tiny infant sleeping in the crib at the end of our bed. She had violet eyes, just like her father, but her hair was a light brownish red colour, much like my own. I cradled her small head in the crook of my elbow and carried her over to Chase, rocking her softly as she whimpered.

"Hush now, baby, I'm going to hand you over to daddy so I can get you some milk," I used my softest tone of voice as I placed her into the waiting arms of my spouse. He held her closely and I wandered off to the kitchen to warm up the child's milk. Opening the refrigerator, I listened to the sounds of the world outside – the stirring of leaves in the breeze, the rushing water of the stream to the left of my farm and the ever so slight melodies of the bell ringing out over the land. I sighed contentedly as I tipped the frigid milk into the pot and began stirring it. When I'd first seen the ad for this farmland in a newspaper, I hadn't thought twice about it. I was eager to leave behind the polluted air of the city, not to mention the rude and unfriendly faces that I had to see daily. It was on the boat journey to this small, secluded island that I first met my guide and joyful companion, Finn. To say the least, he was created by the Harvest Goddess of this land to aid me in the quest to ring the five bells and return the vitality to the once prosperous isle. Doing so was never an easy task, and I never would've been able to do it without Finn. So, even now after the bells had been rung, he stuck with me and still follows me everywhere I go.

He flew around my head now as I turned the stove off and tested the heat of the liquid in the pot, his little wings fluttering rapidly as he floated in my line of vision.

"Isn't it such a beautiful day today, Akari!" he exclaimed loudly. I nodded and grinned at him in agreement; I couldn't answer him out loud due to the fact that, well, I was the only one apart from the divinities and immortals of the land that could see him. In a way, I suppose I was blessed.

I cast my gaze over to the bed in the corner of the room at Chase cooing at Reina, the baby girl gurgling happily and tugging on the loose locks of hair that he hadn't pinned back. I felt my heart flutter as I approached with the bottle of lukewarm milk, not wanting to disturb the scene as I placed the bottle into Chase's outstretched hand. A smile tugged at my lips as I watched Reina suck the bottle eagerly, grasping at her dad's face as he murmured and gazed adoringly at her. I had finally found the simple, happy life I had always wanted.

 **A/N: This story is so old, but here ya go. Enjoy XD**


	2. Chapter 2

It was 6:45 am when I finally started my day's work, which put me behind schedule, but not by a lot. I treaded over the dusty road to the chicken coop and laid out the food for the birds that occupied it, narrowly avoiding the duck that flew at me enthusiastically. I collected the eggs from the nesting boxes and carried them over to the shipping box in the corner, before thinking twice about it and taking one over to the incubator. The chickens flapped about my feet and I stepped around them to reach the doorway watching over my shoulder as they trailed out after me. I unlatched the door of the barn as Finn hurriedly shooed away the chickens and the unruly duck from the entrance. Appreciative sounds came from inside when I rung the bell to bring out the cows and sheep to the pasture, petting each one of them as they passed by me. It took me a while to clean and brush the large animals and ensure that they were well and healthy, and once I was happy with how the livestock were faring, I made my way over to the plot of land by the large lake to tend to the crops.

I cautiously walked over the slightly rotted planks of wood that acted as a bridge over the shallow stream and looked over the field. A variety of spring crops sprouted in even rows across the entire length of the fertile ground, wavering in the whispers of the wind. I stood with Finn resting on my shoulder and cherished the serenity of the moment, breathing in the delicate scent of springtime blossoms, before reluctantly dragging myself off to the watering hole. After half-an-hour of back and forth between the watering hole and the rows of vegetables, I wiped the perspiration from my forehead and looked at my work, feeling rather pleased with myself, though the moment didn't last too long; there was a loud crash and I winced at the sound, knowing immediately that it was one of the wooden boards that had fallen from the roof of the ancient, run-down chicken coop. I really had to talk to Dale about getting that fixed up.

I looked over my farm once more and sighed blissfully, setting the orange watering can down by the shipping box; stretching my arms up to relieve the ache in my back. Deciding that the roof of the chicken coop was my main priority, I skipped off over the bridge and around the large pond on the dirt path leading to the Garmon Mine district, collecting a few wild raspberries that grew in the undergrowth as I went. The trek up the rocky hillside tired my legs greatly, but I didn't mind, at least I was getting exercise, something that could never really be said back in the big city. After a few minutes, the large wooden rope bridge came into my view and I giggled, my mind flashing back to when I first arrived on Castanet Island. My first instruction from Finn was to make my way to the Goddess Spring to see the Harvest Goddess, but that very bridge over the river had been broken. Upon approaching, we had found Bo, the carpenter's apprentice, inspecting the damage and then spinning on his heel suddenly and almost colliding with us. We laughed it off and, after our brief introductions; I offered to go get his toolbox for him, which he had left in the Town Hall. The memory tugged at my mind as I advanced ever closer to the bridge. So much had changed in the few years that I had been here. I listened to the rush of the water beneath my feet when I crossed and hummed along with the melody that Finn was singing with all his heart. The first building I came across when my feet finally hit gravelled road again was the carpenter's, so I opened the door and let myself in, hearing the bell above their door chime cheerfully.

"Hey, Akari," Bo waved from behind the work bench he was standing at, and Dale looked up from the books he was writing in.

"Mornin' Akari! How can I help ya today?" he asked, a warm, amicable smile showing on his face below his bushy, blue moustache.

"Hey, Dale, I just came about my chicken coop. it needs fixing up real bad." I replied.

"Ah, so the old thing's finally given in, huh?" I nodded. Dale opened the door to the living area and bellowed up the stairs.

"LUKE!" Bo and I both grimaced at the volume of the yell. Finn covered his ears and complained about the noise.

We could hear footsteps running and a voice shouting something that sounded something like 'I'm coming', followed by a loud thump and muffled groans. Then Luke appeared in the doorway, rubbing his back.

"Yes, dad?" his voice was breathy and he was gasping; he'd most likely winded himself when he fell. His dad merely snorted at his son, before turning seriously and instructing him to fix the roof of the coop on my farm. Luke nodded enthusiastically at me and picked up his tool box, heading to the front door.

"Don't worry, Akari, I'll make it EXTREME!" he yelled the last word and I shook my head in amusement.

"I'm sure you will, Luke," he grinned at me gleefully before running off back in the direction of my farm. I sincerely hoped he wouldn't cause too much destruction. I was aware of Dale sighing and chuckling behind me.

"That boy, what am I going to do with him?" Dale smiled fondly, his expression softening significantly. I handed over the money for the repair of my coop and went on my way, nodding and smiling at the two before I left. The moment I closed the door, I caught sight of the ocean below glittering in the sunlight, and my breath caught in my throat. I couldn't believe that I had come from a place where there was almost no nature at all. Memories of the city flooded back into my head, but I shook them away, not wanting to think about it while I clambered into the mine cart and headed towards Harmonica Town.

 **A/N: Ahhh it's been so long I'm sorry, I completely forgot about this D:**


	3. Chapter 3

The cart came to a halt next to the Celesta Church and I climbed out to be met by a wild beagle that yapped and ran around my legs, begging to be petted. I threw a treat down for the pup and ascended the stairs to the Church grounds, holding my hand out to the large Pyrenees that had bounded over to me. I heard jovial laughter coming from the Church entrance and looked up to meet the gaze of the priest-in-training, Perry.

"He seems quite taken by you," he commented, averting his attention to the large white mongrel that ran in circles trying to bite his own tail. I beamed at first the dog and then the priest, laughter escaping my lips.

"Well, I kinda just have that effect on animals," he glanced at me and grinned largely.

"Yes, you definitely do," he chortled, before making his way back inside the building. I rubbed the large dog's head one more time before I strolled over to the large path that would take me to the main part of Harmonica Town. The entire time I spent walking, I observed the picturesque scenery of the island and the ocean. Rosy blossoms fell from the trees that lined the pathway, catching in my hair and fluttering about my face, the wind carrying them out over the expansive sea. Such perfection in the movement of the petals was not entirely natural, but more of a blessing of the Goddess herself. Ever since she had regained her power, the island had become much more beautiful than ever before, or at least since I arrived here, but many times the citizens had told me that this isle had never been more stunning.

Before I knew it, I had reached the town, and straight away headed to the home of my closest friend, the Wizard. I rounded the corner of his house and let myself in, calling out merrily as I closed the heavy sapphire painted door behind me and my small companion.

"Hello, Gale!" He looked up from his spell book that lay open on his desk.

"Hello, Akari…" he uttered slowly, a concerned look spelled out upon his face as he stared at me. He must have sensed my confusion because he beckoned for me to come over to the table that held the crystal ball. I followed after him, puzzled but curious; he was never this solemn when I visited him before. Well, apart from the time when I told him about the Witch turning herself into a frog.

"Akari… I promised you that as a… friend I would… always look out for you…" he began gently. I nodded my head vigorously, nervous and unsure about where this was going. Gale exhaled loudly before he continued.

"Well…" he stopped, choosing his words. "I looked into the crystal ball…" he gestured in front of him with his hands.

"And?" I questioned. He closed his mismatched eyes briefly.

"Chase… he has another… romantic interest… other than yourself." The words left his mouth as a barely audible whisper, though he may as well have been screaming them. The words stung me and I sat completely shocked and unable to move. The Wizard met my eyes and offered me a sympathetic look. I felt my face fall into a scowl.

"But why… how could he…" I furrowed my eyebrows and focussed on the most important question currently running through my mind. "Who?"

My close friend avoided my inquiring glare and stared at an image in the ball that only he could see.

"Maya…" The name slapped me hard. Maya? As in the girl that Chase had so many times told me he couldn't stand; the girl who was supposed to be my friend? I slumped in the chair I was sitting on, all my happiness and joy from the morning fading completely. Finn rested his small figure on the top of my head in a comforting way as I tried to hold back my tears.

"Maybe the crystal ball was wrong?" Finn squeaked hopefully, holding onto the locks of my hair. For a brief moment I felt a small glimmer of hope that what he said held some sort of truth, but I remembered what Gale had said the first time that the sprite had questioned it.

"The crystal ball is never wrong," I repeated those exact words sorrowfully, sniffing as I felt tears begin to spill from my eyes and down my cheeks. The vague sound of Gale's voice reached my ears.

"I'm so sorry, Akari…" he was stood right next to me, his hand offering a handkerchief. I accepted it and wiped my face.

"Gale… t-thank you for telling me," the words were thick and shaky. "A lot of people wouldn't have said anything." With that, I unwillingly got to my feet, twisting around to face the door. The Wizard stood by me for a moment, awkwardly placing his hand on my shoulder before sighing and turning away. I rubbed my eyes fiercely with my palms, taking deep breaths and yanking on the door handle.

"See you later then, Gale?" I mustered as much enthusiasm into my voice as was humanly possible in the circumstances, but a slight wobble gave away my false demeanour. He nodded pityingly at me, his eyes showing his worry and sadness.

I exited his house, instantly beginning to sob uncontrollably. I was thankful that most people in town were currently working in their small businesses so no one would come and disturb me or ask me for the reason why I was weeping so mournfully. Finn wiped away my tears with his tiny hands.

"Come on, Akari. I think it's best if you just go home now." I nodded in agreement, treading down the steps in front of Gale's house. Unfortunately, I hadn't made the best choice in direction, because as I turned to make my way through town, I found myself right in front of the Ocarina Inn. Her workplace.

 **A/N: Things are starting to get intense.**

 **Also, it's been like a year now since I wrote this, I cringe so hard.**


	4. Chapter 4

I glared up at the pink building and its garish sign above the door. It felt like time had stopped while I glared, hating the girl that lived and worked here, stealing my husband's heart…

My anger suddenly dissipated and was replaced by sorrow and anxiety. The thought of them together began to intrude my mind - 'I bet he's in there right now.'

I whimpered and threw my hands to my ears, sprinting as fast as I could away from the building to the beach just outside of town. When I felt the hard cobbles give way into grainy sand, my knees faltered and I sunk down onto the ground. It was then that I lost control of my emotions and all of my sorrow and rage poured out, and Finn watched on, a worried and slightly afraid look on his face. After several minutes of screaming, crying and kicking up sand, I dropped to the ground and stared out at the ocean. Even that seemed to have lost its glimmer. I kicked my work boots off and buried my feet under the gritty sand, occasionally allowing troubled gasps and sighs to disrupt the peace that had been bestowed to us following my breakdown.

"I hate him," I hissed bitterly, throwing a pebble into the water in front of me. From the corner of my eye I could see a green haired fairy in an over-sized hat observing me.

"No you don't," he reasoned. "You just want to because you feel betrayed right now."

"I wish I didn't love him," my speech wavered and I felt tears sting my eyes again. "I… I wish I could hate him."

I pressed my head onto my knees, chewing hard on my lip to hold back my sobs because I felt like if I began crying again, I wouldn't be able to stop. In complete silence I lifted my gaze and began pulling my shoes back on, determined to distract myself for the next few hours. Using the back of my hand, I dried my eyes and followed the lane of dust back to my farm.

Upon arriving back at my home I felt some of the worry and woe lift from my shoulders, until I looked at the house. I felt sick; I knew that the lying cheat would be in there, waiting for me to get back so he could make his way to work. I suppressed a growl as I advanced towards the wooden building, mentally preparing myself to face the man who had been lying to me. The front door opened and I was surprised to see that the man standing there was not Chase, but instead Luke. I shook my head in confusion and stared ahead at the bluenette who had noticed my astonished look.

"Oh hey, Akari!" He wind milled his arms at me in an exaggerated wave. "Chase went out so he asked me to look after Reina till you got back!"

I felt taken aback at what he'd just told me. Chase went out? I bit down hard on my bottom lip again, taking a deep breath before craning my neck up to look at the carpenter who'd shinnied up a ladder at what seemed like lighting speed and was now working on the roof of the chicken coop.

"Did he say where he was going?" I asked tentatively, just hoping that he wasn't where I thought he was. My heart stopped at Luke's answer.

"He said he wanted to go into town, ya know, get an early start on his work today," Luke carried on hammering nails into the wooden frame of the building, oblivious to my furious expression. I counted to ten and kept myself calm.

"Well thanks for looking after Reina, anyway," I called up to him, thankful that I had been able to control my emotions that time. Luke barely grumbled a response, his tongue poking out of his mouth in concentration. I looked at my watch – 16:43. Chase's shift would've already begun by now. I sighed once more and made my way out to the pasture, removing my animal brush from the rucksack slung over my shoulder. I spent the next few hours meticulously brushing every one of the animals as a way to divert my thoughts away from my newly discovered knowledge of my husband's infidelity. I had been so engrossed with my animals that I hadn't realised the sun had already set until Luke bellowed over the expansive pasture field.

"Akari, I've fixed most of the roof on the coop," he cupped his hands around his mouth before yelling to me again. "I'll be back tomorrow."

I raised my hand in acknowledgement and he waved goodnight before darting off with his toolbox swinging madly in his grip. I ran over to the barn and rung the bell, attracting the attention of the animals spread over the entirety of the field and bringing them back to the sheds. After the livestock had returned I latched both of the doors and averted my eyes to the moon glowing softly in the black of night. Finn simply floated behind me, humming gently. I found the sound was rather comforting and I smiled sadly over my shoulder at him as we entered the farmhouse.

 **A/N: It's been a while, huh? Anyways, I have written anything since like, November 2016, but I'm gonna keep updating the current stories with the chapters I have left until I run out and then I'll write some more.**

 **Gosh I was gone so long. But I'm Back Now. I've been more focused on my music and art than my writing, so that's really why I don't post much here anymore (But I Want To). I'll try my best to finish my current projects and then I'll start Some Good Stuff, I Promise. (Y'all gonna get some of my new 17-almost-18-year-old mindset soon :p)**


	5. Chapter 5

I locked the door behind me and stood in the darkened room, my hand feeling around on the wall for the light switch. The sudden light startled Reina and I heard her wailing in her crib, sniffling and kicking her legs about. I removed my shoes and left them by the door, not caring about the copious amount of dirt that covered the carpet. I padded over to my daughter and lifted her from the cradle, swaying her back and forth in my arms and lowering myself onto the bed.

"Oh, Reina," I sighed, captivated by her large, purple eyes - eyes that were filled with such innocence, and I felt my own well up again. "What are we going to do?"

She simply blinked at me, reaching her hands up to pat my face as if in understanding. I smiled weakly at her as she gurgled and drooled, hoping that she would grow up to be a respectable young woman.

"Reina," I sighed again. "Promise me you won't grow up to be like him. Just… Just promise me you'll always be honest about everything. No lies, no deception, just simple honesty. That way, there won't be so much pain. Just don't end up being like him."

I couldn't hold back my tears anymore, and they began to slip down my cheeks. I could only hope that Reina wouldn't have to go through this same betrayal and deception in her adult years. I felt the familiar tingle of Finn's slight, magical form against my face again and listened to the sound of the baby's breathing as she began to fall into a deep slumber. I stood up, looking around the pastel room that had once felt like home, and placed my child back into her bed. This house no longer felt like home to me, it felt like a lie; these walls held too many deceptions. I looked at the phone. How many times had he called her while I wasn't here to listen? I turned to the table – had he ever brought her here for a 'romantic dinner'? I hoped not. The thought of it made me feel sick to my stomach. I couldn't shake the idea of them being here together like a couple. I felt a knotting sensation in my chest, and my breathing quickened. What if he had brought her here? I leaned against the table, the wooden edge digging a groove into my back. I kept going over and over those thoughts, grimacing at the idea of them being in here alone. I cast my gaze at the bed. They hadn't, had they? They could've…?

Finn followed my line of sight, immediately figuring out what I was thinking.

"He wouldn't have done that, Akari," he whispered. I turned to him, trying to hold myself together, but I could barely spit out my words.

"They probably did though, Finn."

 **A/N: Okay, I haven't** ** _really_** **played Animal Parade in almost 2 years(?) by this point, so I apologise if the characters (apart from Akari, obviously) kind of go OOC (or whatever you call it) from this point onward. I'll try my best not to let that happen though. xD Please Enjoy The Rest Of This Story Either Way Though (and if you don't enjoy it, that's okay too. I still appreciate you giving me a chance :3)**


	6. Chapter 6

The clock on the wall told me it was already near to midnight. Searching through the refrigerator and the kitchen cupboards, I found a bottle of wine and a dusty wineglass, and I took them over to the table with me. I wiped the dust from the glass and opened the red alcoholic drink to pour myself a sizeable amount. I was vaguely aware of Finn saying my name but I was barely paying attention anymore, more focused on making myself forget everything, even if it was only for a little while.

"Akari, please," he whined at me. I exhaled sharply and lowered the glass, shooting an annoyed glare at the fairy, though I was soon distracted by something behind him. I walked over to the bookshelf and pulled out the photo album from the top shelf. I carried it back to the table reverently, as though it was more important than the book of the King and opened it to the first page. Finn took a seat on the table top next to the album and looked up at me questioningly. I wrapped my hand around the glass of wine again and brought the rim to my lips downing at least half of the purple-red liquid. I stared at the first picture in the book – a photo of me when I first arrived on the island, kindly taken by Cain, who had then also brought me to my farm. We spent a while looking through the many photos in the album – photos of the scenery around the land, Finn and the animals, myself with my closest friends, Alan and the other Harvest Sprites, the Harvest Goddess and Finn together…

Together, Finn and I poured over these memories, reminiscing about the earlier years on Castanet. Then I turned the page and froze. Finn studied the expression on my face and then looked at the photo displayed on the open page. It was a photograph of me and Chase on our wedding day; the happiest day of my life. I poured myself another glass of wine from the now almost empty bottle and sipped again. I watched as Finn used his magic to make a pea-sized mug appear out of thin air. He then proceeded to fill it with the beverage from my glass.

"He does love you, Akari," Finn said, taking a sip from the mug before sputtering and screwing his face up in disgust. "He might just be confused."

"So?" I watched as the sprite wiped the pink dribble from his chin. "That's no excuse to cheat on your wife!"

Finn sighed in defeat, understanding finally that there was nothing he could say to convince me otherwise. My eyes travelled to the clock again – 02:27am.

"Where is he? He should have been back almost an hour ago!" I hissed fiercely. I knew exactly where he was. I held my face in my hands and released an angry sob into the silence. Did he do this every night after work? I mean, I wouldn't know if he did because I usually go to sleep before midnight so I can get up early. His shift finished at 1am, it takes twenty minutes to get back here from town, so there was really no reason why he should be back so late. I felt Finn rest his hand comfortingly on my arm, and I stared down at him.

"How could he stand in that Church and promise that he would love me and only me till death do us part, and then go and do this?" I asked him, hardly any louder than a whisper. He shook his head sadly.

"I don't know, Akari," he patted my arm again. We sat in the silence until a small tinkling sound made me jerk my head up in time to see Chase opening the front door. I scowled at him as he locked the door behind him and hung up his coat. He obviously wasn't expecting me to be awake because when he turned and saw me sitting at the table with a photo album and an empty wine bottle, he couldn't keep the surprise and guilt out of his voice.

"W-why are you still up, Akari?"

 **A/N: Wow. Two chapters uploaded on the same day? It's a miracle.**

 **It's really starting to get intense, huh? ;) Don't worry, there's more angst to come, I promise.**


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